


Temptress of Nevarra

by Whavey



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Court of Orlais, F/M, Ferelden (Dragon Age), Marriage, Orlais (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:27:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24641626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whavey/pseuds/Whavey
Summary: -warning, this work is two years old and used to be my backstory for the Dragon Age TTRPG-A princess of Nevarra, 8th in line, sets out to find a marriage that suits her. In navigating the courts, she finds herself in a position not many have found themselves in.
Relationships: Gaspard de Chalons/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	Temptress of Nevarra

She was a temptress, she was all that her nation had wanted to hide.

At least, that is what they would have told if she did not find herself in a shotgun marriage to Grand Duke Gaspard of Orlais. She was smart, played her cards right and had the most important people fold at the right time.

Who was she? She was Aurelie Anna Mae Pentaghast of the Grand Necropolis. She was the 8th in line, only being surpassed by her brother, father, two cousins and three uncles. As highest ranking woman in the direct line of succession, and actually the only powerful woman within the 80-something people in line to the Nevarran throne, her marriage was arranged early in life. Some dull prince in Antiva who would use her as a trophy wife, a baby maker. Aurelie did not agree, but surrendered to the thought. Then, out of nowhere, her betrothed was assassinated in Antiva, and she was once again a single woman. She gave herself the mission to marry the best husband she could get, and had her eyes set up in Ferelden, with an unmarried Prince Cailan.

When Cailan had met her, he had fallen in love. Not much later, Celene presented herself and a short while later he was introduced to Anora. He married the latter, knowing Anore's family line held more power over his fragile nation than a foreigner, but not before helping Aurelie to Ferelden as part of her mission. He introduced her to a few lords he was well acquainted with and she made herself a handmaiden in Teagan Guerrin’s court. She accompanied him on all his trips, sometimes even functioning as his spy should he need it. Her reputation was besmirched as a different spy had found her in close quarters with Teagan. Knowing her uncle, King Marcus, would recall her back to Nevarra immediately, she left Teagan’s employ and left for Orlais, the nation of the truly great. It took her a year of working herself from court to court before she found herself within Celene’s personal court as one of her spies. Besides the extensive knowledge of languages Aurelie spoke, she was also good with sowing and often made the tiny adjustments descreetly, without anyone noticing.

In her brief time at Celene’s court, she managed to capture Gaspard’s eye, and for the first time, Aurelie had a chance at getting a man with power. Gaspard was unlike the men whom employed her, or sought her out. He was interested in a companion, not a spy. He saw her as a fierce woman who toppled assassin’s for breakfast to keep Orlais in stable hands. He saw a woman of stability instead of a rogue temptress. He offered her a courtship, telling her that she needn’t worry about him living a long life, or even giving him an heir. All he wanted was a young woman at his side that the people would see as someone who could secure a lineage for the Emperial family. Aurelie had hesitated, even told Gaspard she had a lot to think about before leaving him.

One night, after a ball and foiling another assassination on the empress, she ran into Gaspard. In her tired, bloodied state, she made the call to follow him as he suggested he’d help her. A truer gentleman hadn’t been born yet, as he washed her without ever touching her in an inappropriate way. Come the following morning, she had found him and told him she accepted his proposal. The next three months she spend in the silent, hidden courtship were blissful. Gaspard was interested in knowing her and she found herself interested in him. He showed her the art of Orlais and she would play Nevarran songs for him.

Then, one afternoon, Celene confronted her lady-in-waiting. She had spies everywhere and one of them had seen her reading poetry with Gaspard in the gardens. Aurelie was expelled from court and had a day to pack. As she was packing, Gaspard came to visit her as she had not shown up to their meeting, finding her in tears and smashing dresses in a trunk. He consoled her, and told her he’d follow her anywhere.

Aurelie knew his plans to overthrow Celene, and knew he hadn’t acted on them because of her position. She also knew she could not force him to give up his position as Grand Duke. So she told him to let her go and that nothing would stop Celene from hunting her down. Gaspard couldn’t disagree, but was the one to think in solutions. So instead of letting her pack her prettiest dress, he told her to change into it, even getting the wife of his personal attendant to help her get ready, and dragged her off to the palace chantry to be wedded.

So, come morning, she woke up as the Grand Duchess of Verchiel. When Celene came knocking on Gaspard’s door to demand something stupid from him and seeing her former lady-in-waiting and spy with Gaspard’s ring on her finger in a fancy dress, she knew enough. Her plan foiled, and she had an extra enemy at court. Celene wasn’t stupid, the moment the news of Gaspard’s marriage to the young princess of Nevarra, with an actual chance of ascending the throne her uncle sat upon, broke to the world, her position would be forfeit. So she started her political warfare.

All hell broke loose after a visit to Halamshiral, four months. Aurelie had been sitting on the sidelines after she and Gaspard had found out she was pregnant with his heir not even a week before their leave of Val Royeaux, but Celene had been pushing the rumours surrounding their marriage in a way that they decided to keep it secret. As Gaspard decided to overthrow Celene through a bloody civil war, Aurelie had to fear the assassins Celene would surely sic on her. Gaspard got her into a carriage back to Verchiel with some of his most trusted guards. Her one lady-in-waiting was send with her to make sure she got through her morning sickness well enough.

For the following weeks, Aurelie spend her times in the closed off wing that belonged to Gaspard and her. She would do her Duchess duties, write to her relatives and family in Nevarra and worrying for Gaspard. The word on the street was dire and there hadn’t been any news from Gaspard, save for one letter that arrived a week after the civil war broke out. The Chevaliers that listened to Gaspard were most loyal to her and helped her around, even lifting a small but comfortable seat outside for the Aurelie when she wished to sit outside. She had never felt safer than within the walls of Gaspard’s palace.  
  


The letters from her family had been incredibly positive, even if they had rather seen her married off instead of hearing of the shotgun marriage. When she announced she was pregnant to her family, they were overjoyed. Slowly but surely the people within the Verchiel walls started to find it out as well, as the belly was going larger and larger. She was approaching her 8th month with babe, when Gaspard returned to his home. He was limping, bruised, but alive and happy to see her. He told her the state of Orlais and warned her that returning to the capital was unsafe. He had informed his sister, Florianne, they wouldn’t be returning for a while. Aurelie hadn’t met Florianne that often, but knew was cold and couldn’t care less about what Gaspard did. As long as there was a firm ruler of Orlais at the end of the day.  
  
That day, Gaspard had made her a pledge. He pledged on his honour that he would stay in Verchiel until his child was born and his wife was sure to survive childbirth. Then he would wage war on Celene, taking her from the throne and put his line back on it, to bring his wife and child to the capital and rebuild Orlais to be an honourable country, and he made sure to keep that promise. He had started to gather his armies at Verchiel and make sure they were ready to march. Five weeks later, he could tell his armies that they had an heir to fight for, should he die. Aurelie gave birth to a healthy son in the very late evening. Gaspard, a warrior who had seen the best and the worst of the world, cried for the first time in years as he held his first child. But mere moments after Aurelie got her son returned to her, clean and well, a blast shook the world. Gaspard covered his bride and child as glass shattered over the room. Aurelie, in pure panic, sat up to look outside and saw a massive green hole in the sky. “Gaspard…” she had murmured, but he understood. He had a war to win and then a hole to fix.

Aurelie saw her husband off the following morning, dressed in one of the finest gowns she had ever worn. Her young son in her arms, she kissed her husband off and made him promise to return home. Six months later, she got an invitation to Halamshiral from her husband and her sister-in-law. As she prepared herself and her young son, who she had come to name Ghyslain Aurelian de Chalons, for the long trip to Orlais, her personal guard walked up to her and told her he had orders to remain with the little Ghys in the Palace. She agreed, knowing Val Royeaux was too dangerous for a baby. Especially with Celene dying to clear out the entire line of succession that comes from Gaspard, it was not safe for Ghys.

Three days later, her suspicions were proven to be truthful when a bunch of assassins ambushed her carriage. With her swift actions, none of her men were lost, but Aurelie was awake and ready to face the battles at court.

Within the fortnight of her arrival at Halamshiral, she got to meet the reason the green hole in the sky, which Gaspard and Florianne had taken to calling “the rift”, was opened and closed. A beautiful, rosy cheeked elf from the Marches, who was out of her depths at court. As she had arrived per Gaspard’s invitation, Aurelie was the woman to entertain the Inquisitor and her entourage. In the preparation for the ball thrown by Florianne, Aurelie helped the Inquisitor to navigate the court and get used to the Orlesian culture. By the end of the week, mere hours before the ball would begin, the Inquisitor was somewhat ready.

Aurelie enjoyed the ball immensely, even dancing around with some of her former targets she had to keep an eye on. She kept an eye on Gaspard as much as she could, aiding him whenever she could. She also covered for the inquisitor often, especially when she ran off to kill some targets of whatever evil they had to stop. As the end was nearing to the negotiations, Gaspard had called her to stand near the balcony from which the announcement would come. Out of nowhere Aurelie saw Celene topple over with a white and blue blur leaving the body and appearing behind Aurelie, cold blade pressed onto her throat and the silky sweet voice of Florianne commanded her to stay quiet as she was forced of the stairs onto the dance floor. Immediately everyone hushed as Aurelie heard Gaspard call her name. The Inquisitor, who had excelled at the game tonight, descended the stairs from the other side, calling for quiet. An exchange of quick wit was done before the Inquisitor threw one of her daggers, hitting Florianne’s hand in a way that released Aurelie. As Gaspard raced down the stair to check on his wife, Inquisitor Lavellan ran after Florianne, with some of the Inquisition agents following suit. Gaspard lifted his wife back up and called for a guard to take her to their shared rooms as he was called away by the Nightingale.

Late that night, Gaspard returned to their shared room where he found Aurelie wide awake. As he entered, he greeted her gently with one short title: “Empress of Orlais”. Aurelie was flabbergasted, though she knew it made sense. As Aurelie inquired about the hows, the Grand Duke just shook his head. “We must return to Verchiel after my coronation, pick up our son, and return here to stay. We have won a nation, but now we must win the biggest war yet.”

So they did. Empress Aurelie became famed, even mending the gap between Nevarra and Orlais a tiny bit as Markus became more approachable to offers. Orlais blossomed with a good ruler, a stable one. Before 9:43 came, Gaspard had his second child: a daughter he named after his biggest opponents in life: Celene Florianne. As Orlais settled into the longest time of political stability in two ages, Aurelie found her true happiness in a man easily 50 years her senior.


End file.
